Here, the author shows how basic existential and developmental issues underlie the severe pathology of personality disorders and symptoms of neurosis in character styles. Johnson shows how basic life issues underlie the severepathology of personality disorder, the nagging symptoms ofneurosis, and the more functional coping and adaptation ofthe character styles. Johnson "s dimensional model capturesthe complexity of the human personality, while allowing forvariability not seen in categorical systems such as DSM-IV. His descriptive names of the character styles not only linkchildhood experiences to later personality and psychopathologybut also put flesh and bones on psychiatric diagnosis. Presenting an integrated personality theory, this book shows how basic existential and developmental issues underlie the severe pathology of personality disorders, the nagging symptoms of neurosis, and the more functional coping and adaptation of character styles. It details both an external description of these personalities along the continuum of psychic structure and the internal experience that makes human behaviour understandable and worthy of empathy. About the Author: Stephen M. Johnson, Ph.D., is a professor and chair of the faculty at Pacific Graduate School of Psychology in Menlo Park, California. He divides his time between clinical teaching and the private practice of psychotherapy in Menlo Park and San Francisco. |